The Toll of 2,000
American deaths in Afghanistan now have reached 2,000: when is it enough?
The Toll of 2,000
John Baer, Daily News Political Columnist
Amid the skewed data, misinformation, outright lies and obscene money numbers pushing the presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, another number continues to be ignored in the hearts and minds of too many Americans.
The New York Times reported this week that 2,000 now have died in Afghanistan, including 36 from Pennsylvania, four from Philadelphia.
The Times on Wednesday used four full pages to show the photos of the American dead so far in this decade-plus long war.
When you look at the faces and ages – so many in their teens and early 20’s – it’s hard not to get angry, hard not to question decisions made by two administrations that led to such large, irretrievable loss.
The Times reports the first 1,000 casualties took nine years while the second 1,000 took 27 months, the latter a time period covering the “surge” ordered by President Obama in 2010 that sent an additional 33,000 troops to the country.
There’s also a sickening trend in which Afghan troops we are training are killing our own.
“This year, another threat emerged: an intensified wave of attacks by Afghan security forces. In just the past two weeks, at least 9 Americans have been killed in such insider attacks. For the year to date, at least 40 NATO service members, most of them American, have been killed by either active members of the Afghan forces or attackers dressed in their uniforms – already outstripping the toll from all last year,” the Times reports.
I have long railed against the cost in lives lost and money spent on unwinnable wars for who knows what in places embattled for thousands of years while our own economy suffers, our own families struggle, our systems of education and health care decline and our infrastructure crumbles.
I’ve argued that the policies of Presidents Bush and Obama regarding Afghanistan represent misplaced priorities. I wish every American could look at the photos of those who have died and tell me I’ve been wrong.
The sooner we get out of Afghanistan, the better. Those people don't want us and we don't need to be there. Let the drones do the work. There are people there are intent on killing. We don't need to be in the middle of their murderous rampage.- 2000 US deaths. I'd be surprised if you could find 2000 Americans who even knew or cared about this forgotten war. bring em home now— Ryan
- Troops are home from Iraq. Bin Laden's dead. Drones are working over Al Qeada across the ME.
Afghanistan is a cesspool. Remember we armed Bin Laden and the Afghanis in the 80's against the Russians and he turned on the US. Now we are training and arming the Afghanis and some are turning on our troops.
It's time for Obama to ignore the hawks on the right and speed up his time-table for bringing the troops home.— ElecFact - This comment has been deleted.— MODEREATER
- Over 3000 is the answer to your question. Our media does it's best to sweep that under the rug too. Cant rock the boat, democrats need to keep winning those elections. — tr88
Also, 40,000 Americans were killed in traffic crashes in that time period. But we can't simply do without cars. And we can't all leave Philadelphia.
But we can sure as he11 get out of Afghanistan.
Comment removed.- Bring home all the troops and fight the war from the air with unmanned aircraft!— quigly46
- the dead are dead, but of more distress, the injured (who knows how many and to what extent) have to suffer with their injuries the rest of their lives.
— ald - You would have thought all of the anti-war demonstrations would have turned the political climate against the war wouldnt you? Oh, that's right, we have a democrat in office, there is no anti-war movement. What phonies.— tr88
“According to the Washington Peace Center: “During the Vietnam War, the military ranks carried out mass resistance on bases and ships in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, U.S. and Europe. Military resistance was instrumental in ending the war by making the ranks politically unreliable. This history is well documented in ‘Soldiers in Revolt’ by David Cortright and the recent film ‘Sir! No Sir!’”
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/06/08/obama-and-the-vietnam-war/
- "According to the 2003 book by Christian Appy, “Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides,” Gen. Creighton Abrams — the U.S. military commander in Vietnam — made this comment in 1971 after an investigation: “Is this a god-damned army or a mental hospital? Officers are afraid to lead their men into battle, and the men won’t follow. Jesus Christ! What happened?”
- Guess they haven't affected McCain or Lindsay Graham as they even screamed when Obama announced a 2014 end date— ElecFact
- John Baer you should be more outraged at the 4,000 people murdered on the streets of Philadelphia over the same time period you are complaining about the Afghan war. Are you going to write an outrage commentary about that? People voluntary went to war knowing people die in war. On the other hand no one thinks they will get murdered just because they live in Philadelphia. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/special_packages/inquirer/136746563.html— 1776.Liberty.Bell
- Remember when George Bush was in office and the media would actually anticipate the milestones in front page headlines? Will we hit 2500 before Christmas? I give JB credit for mentioning it here, but by and large the media is treating this like a skunk at the garden party. Ignore it and keep the masses ignorant. That seems to be the primary function of so-called news organizations like our local newspapers right now. All the news that's fit to mange.— tr88
John is the author of the book "On The Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics: Twenty-Five Years of Keystone Reporting" (The History Press, 2012). Reach John at baerj@phillynews.com.
